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Dear Colleague:
I am energized following an excellent meeting of the CMS Board of Directors during which we discussed issues of importance to every CMS member. I am deeply honored to serve as your president and board chair, and I encourage you to reach out to me with your thoughts on our direction for 2023 by replying to this email. Below are some highlights from our meeting.
- The board took the first step in a two-step process to refresh the strategic direction for the medical society. We incorporated some important lessons from the pandemic and integrated our ongoing work related to inclusion and belonging. The second step of the process will be for leadership to work with staff to develop specific actions to achieve these strategic priorities.
- The board received a legislative update from Chet Seward, CMS chief strategy officer; Beverly Razon, COPIC senior vice president of public affairs; and our star lobbyists, Jerry Johnson and Dan Jablan. We learned how the November elections will shape the upcoming legislative session and how our work in the coming year will focus on reducing administrative burdens on physicians, opposing inappropriate scope expansions and supporting efforts to reduce workforce shortages.
- The reports from individual board members reminded us that more component medical societies are meeting in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic, and how this is invigorating our medical communities. I encourage you to get more involved with your local component society and experience this vibrancy.
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We also heard more concerning reports about Medicaid RAC audits. CMS has engaged with the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, raised a number of questions and concerns, and is continuing to work on this issue. If you’re facing an audit, email Jennifer Armstrong, CMS program manager for government affairs and communications, so we can hear your story and add to our case. We are stronger together.
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We also heard troubling news out of the Pueblo City Council from PCMS representative Brittany Carver, DO. Council members are considering an ordinance that would harm patient care by intruding into the patient-physician relationship. Two Pueblo physicians -- Mike Growney, MD, and Joseph Castelli, MD -- courageously spoke out against the ordinance at a meeting in November and I am submitting a letter to the city council in support of all of our Pueblo physicians before the council's vote on Monday.
Thank you all for your membership. If you have not yet renewed for 2023, I would encourage you to do so soon. We cannot do this important work without your dues dollars.
Sincerely,
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